Rotary Shift Knob Interlock With Self-Return to Park
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shift range switches for vehicles are complex, leading to increased manufacturing costs, erroneous operations, and maintenance issues due to overlapping components and excessive space usage.
Innovation Solution
An electronic shift range switching device with a compact and simple structure, featuring a housing unit, a rotating shifting knob unit, and a locking correction integrated unit that controls the rotation and self-correction of the shifting knob, reducing component overlap and enhancing durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional shift range switches add various safety elements and functions, then the safety and functionality are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple safety functions (interlocking that prevents rotation when brake is not applied, and self-correction that returns the knob to P position) into a single integrated control unit. This merging of functions reduces device complexity while maintaining safety requirements, directly resolving the contradiction between improved safety and increased complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit serves multiple purposes: it detects brake status, controls interlocking to prevent unauthorized rotation, performs self-correction to return to P position, and manages detent unit operations. This multi-functionality allows a single component to handle various safety tasks, reducing overall device complexity while enhancing safety.
2Ease of operation
If conventional switches implement individual arrangement of components for individual operations, then each function operates independently, but the space occupied and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the interlocking mechanism and self-correction mechanism into a single integrated control unit that shares common components (single driver, single sharing transfer unit, detent unit). This consolidation significantly reduces the space occupied while maintaining the ability to perform independent interlocking and self-correction operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The design nests multiple functional elements within the control unit: the driver is nested within the control unit, the sharing transfer unit is nested within the control unit, and the detent unit is integrated into the control unit structure. This nesting arrangement minimizes space occupation while preserving independent operational capabilities.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional shift range switches add overlapping constituent elements, then more functions are achieved, but manufacturing cost and maintenance complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates overlapping constituent elements by merging the interlocking and self-correction functions into a single control unit with shared components. This reduces the total number of parts, simplifies manufacturing, and lowers production costs while maintaining versatile functionality for safety control and automatic correction.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit is designed as a universal component that performs multiple functions: brake status detection, interlocking control, self-correction control, and detent unit management. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and maintenance complexity while achieving adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an electronic shift range switching device (10) which is configured to control a shift range of a vehicle, the device comprising: a housing unit (100); a shifting knob unit (200) exposed at one end thereof to the outside of the housing unit (100) and disposed at the other end thereof within the hosing unit (100) in such a manner as to be rotatable with respect to the housing unit (100); and a locking correction integrated unit (300) configured to control whether or not to interrupt the rotation of the shifting knob unit (200) and to return a position of the shifting knob unit (200) to a P shift range in a self-correction manner under a predetermined condition.